AN INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLINGUISTICS

COMPILED BY:
NAME : ERIA WATI RAHMA
NPM : 1706102020032

FACULTY OF TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION

SYIAH KUALA UNIVERSITY
2019
1. What do sociolinguistics study?

Sociolinguistics is the study of language in relation to society. How people use their
languages. Sociolinguistics explains how to use that language in certain aspects or social
aspects. Sociolinguistic knowledge can be utilized in communicating or interacting.
Sociolinguistics provides guidelines for us in communicating by showing what language,
language variety or language style we should use if we talk to certain people. Thus,
understanding sociolinguistic principles will help us with language problems. Every people
speak differently in different contexts and they have social function and social meaning. People
may speak formally or informally in different context. How people use the language will
become an information about the way language works.

We also say the same thing in different ways because we look the context. For example,
I call my mother “mamak” then my mom’s friends call her “mawar” because it’s her name
then the other people call “kak mawar” and so on. We can see that one thing has different way
to say depend on some factors such as the relationship between the people in the particular
situation and how the speaker feels with that people. There are two kind of dialect which are
geographical dialect (from specific region) and social dialect (based on social problems or
social status). The social dialect also affect on how we say things. In English using different
pronunciation convey social information too.

Social factors/ social status such as occupation, wealth, age, gender and others affect
how people use their language. The social identity of the listener must be seen from the speaker.
Thus the listener's identity can also be a family member (father, mother, sister, brother, uncle,
etc.) close friends, teachers, students, neighbours, officials, elders, and so on. The identity of
the listener or listener will also affect the choice of the code in speaking or how they use the
language. Then the social environment where the speech event occurs can be in the form of a
family room in a household, in a mosque, on a soccer field, in a neighbourhood, in a library,
or on a roadside. The place where the speech event occurs can also affect the choice language
and style of speech, for example, in the library room of course we have to speak in a loud
voice, in the football field we may speak loudly, even in a noisy room with the sound of our
machines having to speak in a loud voice, because if not loud certainly cannot be heard by our
interlocutors.
2. Language choice in multilingual communities
Linguistic or verbal repertoire is ‘the set of language varieties used in the speaking
and writing practices of a speech community’ (Finegan 2004, glossary). In other words,
the linguistic repertoire of a speech community includes all the linguistic varieties
(registers, dialects, styles, accents, etc.). The linguistic repertoire of one individual speaker
is determined by the language varieties that he or she knows and uses within his or her
speech community or it used for all languages and languages that are known and used by
someone in relationships, jobs, and affairs. It turned out that everyone mastered and used
many of the various mother tongues (first language).
Language domain is where we exactly use the language. There are three important
social factors of domain that in code choice, setting and topic. The domain that family,
friendship, religion, education and employment. Setting is the situation where the physical
atmosphere meets physical and interaction occurs, for example house, beach etc.
Diglossia is the situation where two languages use in the same time or where
bilingual variations are used. The speaker who speak two languages we call bilingual.
There are two variety of language which are high variety (formal language) and low variety
(informal language).
Code switching is a switching event from one code to another in a speech event.
For example, speakers using Indonesian switch to using local languages. Code switching
is one aspect of language dependency in a multilingual society. In a multilingual society it
is very difficult for an absolute speaker to only use one language. In switching code each
language still tends to support each function and each function in accordance with the
context. There are two types of code switching: 1 external code switching (eg English to
Indo), 2. internal code switching (eg west Acehnese to north acehnese). For example :
A: Hi. What`s up !? What are you doing ?
B: Yo. I`m doing my assignment.
A: Oh. Really ? what the assignment?
B: General Linguistics assignment. Did you finish that?
A: Sure.
B: I`m glad to hear that. Can you help me ? Aku kurang mengerti soal ini.
 A: Ok.
B: Thank you
A: Your welcome
The use of the above sentence can be categorized in terms of code switching.
Because the sentence uses two languages combined with the purpose of practicing abilities,
to better understand one another, to be more friendly and friendly, and to cover up the
shortcomings in the conversation. For example, when one speaker cannot understand the
meaning spoken by another speaker, code swtching will be very helpful.
Code mixing occurs because the speaker mixes the two languages (code) in one
sentence. In code mixing means there is a dominant language used, for example the
dominant language is English. Official speeches, for example, are dominant in Indonesian
but are intermittently intermittent with foreign languages to make them look cooler or
acceptable. For example, “This morning I hantar my sister tu dekat school tu lah”. This
code mix is divided into two, namely: first, Mix the code in (innercode-mixing): Mix code
sourced from the original language with all its variations (formal, standard, informal, non-
standard). Second, Mix the code to the outside (outer code-mixing): mix code that comes
from a foreign language. The background of the occurrence of code switching can be
divided into two, namely attitudes (attitudinal type), background attitudes of speakers and
linguistics (linguistic type), background language limitations, so there are reasons for role
identification, identification of types, and the desire to explain or interpret.

3. Linguistics varieties and multilingual nations

A vernacular language is the first language or daily language learned by people in
multilingual communities. The variety used for communication in the home and with close
friends. Simply means a language which is not an official language in a particular contest.
For example, Aceh language is vernacular language:
A: Eh ho kemeng jak?
B: Loen kemeng jak u sikula

A standard language is recognized as a prestigious variety or code by a community.

Generally is written, and has undergone some degree of regularization or codification.
Standard language is most useful and widely used as an official language or the national
language. For example, Indonesia language is standard language
A: Permisi. Maaf mengganggu, bu. boleh saya bertanya?
B: Iya silahkan. Apa yang mau kamu tanyakan?
A: Terkait dengan tugas yang ibu berikan. Kapan batas kumpulnya bu?
B: Batas pengumpulannya sampai minggu depan.

Lingua Franca is a common language for communication between speakers whose

first languages are different. So, Lingua Franca can be named as standard language
then Pidgin is a simplified language that develops as a means of communication between
two or more groups that do not have a language in common. So, pidgin can be named as
vernacular language. Creole is a pidgin becomes a native speakers. So, creole can be named
a vernacular language.

Women’s language

In sociolinguistics, study about language and gender emphasizes the focus on the
effect of gender on the use of language. The relationship between language and gender is
the relationship between language and the notion of men and women. women’s style as a
reflection of their powerlessness and men’s power of them. Lakoff provides a list of ten
women’s language features. These ten types of women’s language features are lexical
hedges or fillers, tag questions, rising intonations on declarative,empty adjectives, precise
color term, intensifiers, hypercorrect grammar, superpolite forms, avoidance of strong
swear words, and emphatic stress. For example, women usually have their own vocabulary
to show certain effects on them. Words and expressions like so good, adorable, darling,
and fantastic also women often used words like dear, miss, lady or even babe (baby) to call
others According to Janet Holmes, "Women are designated the role of modelling correct
behaviour in the community." In this perspective, women are expected to be politer when
speaking. It is inconceivable for a woman to use the word cursing "loudly", such as
shouting damn or shit; women will only say oh dear or fudge.